[RM] Basic Flight School Tactics

[Kaiserliche Rheinwehr]

Krieger's Flight School - Lesson 1

Basics

1. Know what you're up against.
a. Use the Adv. Cargo Scanner. it has a systems scanner of 4k, meaning you can scan the other ship much before you're near enough to be fired upon.
b. Analise your opponent's loadout and fly to compensate. Avoid jousting people with paralyzer + nukes/torps and other such combos and dangerous setups.
c. Keep track of bots and batts numbers. This is somewhat optional, but it helps figure out if your current tactics are indeed working.

2. Be sure to set all your strafing commands (up, down, left and right) and learn to use them in various manners (these are good to throw off your opponents aim when you're flying somewhat straight at or from them):
a. "Boxing". Cycling through them as to "draw" a box in the air with your ship.
b. "Random"/Crazy. The idea is the same, you just don't follow any pattern. Even though it may sound more reasonable to do this instead of "boxing", both are pretty effective and with the first you have better means to adjust your own aim.

3. Learn to turn faster.
a. Don't linger. When you're passing by your opponent you're supposed to be turning already. A lot of people linger too long before turning to face the opponent again.
b. Learn to EK. EKing + thrusters lets you make sharper turns.
c. Use reverse thrusting. It's an alternative and a complement to EKing.
A good way is the so called "Anchor Turn". After a joust, instead of drifting while turning tap reverse thrust to drop your ship's speed to zero. Half-way through the turn (facing them or not) get moving again with your thruster. NEVER use this with your shields down, you're a good target for mines.

4. Dodge!
a. Avoid head-ons when you're shields are low.
b. Don't be an easy target. Keep moving at all times, even when you're flying straight (?).
c. Watch out for mines.
d. Keep fast. Use EK + thrusters to fly faster. A fast target is difficult to track.

5. Improve your aim.
a. If you make your shots count, the opponent will think twice before jousting you and if you hurt him faster than he hurts you, he'll be cautious around you.
b. When you're bored, shoot rocks. Find an asteroid field and play a little mini-game I like to call blast-the-asteroid-in-one-hit. Track an asteroid and destroy it in one shot as fast as you can. You'll learn to track and hit moving targets.

6. Set the Countermeasure to an "easy to reach" button!
Put it on the mouse or to a place where you can reach it instant.
You wont have time when a torpedo or missile seeks for you!

7.Set up weaponsgroups!
Especialy in a Bomber its good to have 2 Weapongroups.
Tutorial:
1. Get into your controls.
2. Then klick on USER INTERFACE.
3. Add a easy to reach button for ACTIVATE WEAPONS GROUP 1 and ACTIVATE WEAPONS GROUP 2.

4. Press the Button for GROUP 1 and your weapons should shut off.

5. Klick on the Weapons you wish to activate.

6. Press Button for GROUP 2 and also assign the Weapons you wish.

7. Now you can easy switch between the 2 Groups.
Handy for snipingshots with the Supernova.

Additional words of Admiral Malte, about the weapon groups in a Wrath

Use the weapongroups for your energy management. It is critical in group fights. If you are always low on energy, you can't deal damage.
A Pilot not beeing able to deliver damage is useless. Only cannon fodder. So learn to use your energy well.
If the enemy shields are up, use all guns on them.
When the shields drop, switch to a weapongroup where the Debilitator Guns are disabled and only the hulldamaging weapons do damage.
This way you wont drain your energy for useless Deb shots that cause no damage. Debs are verry powerfull, but also a chain and balls in groupfights when wrongly used.


Additional words of Lt. Zirzow, about flying a Wrath

This is what I learned is most important:
Dogfights all require the same few things; speed, precision, and teamwork. Even if you don't use missiles, you can still be very, very effective combat. Keep your speed up, strafe up, down, left, and right RANDOMLY. Do not stick to a pattern. Very important, don't always turn to the same side. I've seen pilots do this, and any experienced pilot can predict where you will be and leave either a mine or a wall of fire where you will be.
Speed is life in fighter combat. Use reverse thrust in turns (just one tap), then hit your thruster again to help turn faster, but in general never go below ~150 mps.
Precision, or aim. The better your aim, the more dangerous you are. Even someone who does not dodge can be a bitterly dangerous opponent if his aim is perfect. This can only come with practice, but it is important to know. Guns with higher muzzle-speeds make landing shots easier.
Teamwork. Get on Skype, or even the Discovery TeamSpeak with your teammates. This is improve relations with members in your faction while having the added benefit of being able to hear and give orders instantly. Have you ever been flying and wished you could SAY to your friend that there is a guy beating you to a pulp?
Split into groups of two or three in combat, and never have more than one group on the same guy. In groups of three, one pilot should be firing on those who take the tails of his wingmates. Even a poor pilot can be effective with an effective team.



Krieger's Flight School - Lesson 2

Usage of Mines

1. Time them perfect when you fly by so they explode right away
Make sure you have enough shields, or you possible dust your own ship too!
Nice ways for practice are some missions.

2. Drop some mines and then fire a Cruise Disruptor when they are near the enemy.
CDs blow up mines!

3. Lay a mine right when you start flying at your opponent.
When he flies by and engine kills, he'll be flying right into it.
DONT USE THIS AGAINST A CD-Mine OPPONENT!!
You will blow yourself up.

Krieger's Flight School - Lesson 3

Usage of missiles


1. Missiles can be your most effective weapons
Make sure to use them wisely.

2. Wait until the targetter is spinning
It means the target is locked. If you fire before, it is very rare the missile/s will hit the target.

3. Using more than 1 missile launcher is nice
Using q (the default button for launch all missiles) means that you launch them all at once. A good combo is one cannonball and one sidewinder, but you could change the sidewinder for the paralyzer if you wanted.

4. If your target is launching cruise disruptors at you
DON'T use missiles. If the missiles get hit by a cruise disruptor they will blow up and deal lots of damage to yourself.

5. Targetting guns is the best way to defeat your opponent
If your target loses guns then he/she would want to die more, so they would be returned. And of course he cant deal damage anymore.

6. Missiles are the deadliest weapon in the fighters weaponry,
so they will be always used. It wont matter if you think its unfair. There are pilots who use only missiles on their fighters plus torps.
Remember that the more missiles they have, they cant shoot you down when you are attacking their flanks.
Its a game of patience and tactics. When theyre out of ammo its payback time.
Dont run from unfair fights. The more it is difficult for you the better, it will only make you stronger. The best skill, tactic and confidence builder is the experience from hard battles.

Defensive measures against multiple missiles tactics

I've never really fought one of these ships, but I'd say that against missiles as with other explosives a good counter measure is always make good use of cruise disruptors as they provoke warhead explosion. Add debilitators to lower your opponent's shields faster and expose him to the blast.

Unlike missile boats (capital ships configured as missile platforms), fighters do run out of ammo. Try and make your opponent spend all (or most) of his ordnance before actively engaging it. Run around evasively. Missiles are far less effective if the ship's targeting systems can't get a lock. Avoid head-ons at all costs (this not only counts for missiles, but for all explosives) and corrode your opponent's defenses whenever you have a chance, always mindful of your on. While you're evading, if the CD tactic works, try and drop some mines as well.


That's it: Patience and evading.

Additional tips for evading missiles

How to evade missiles.
1 step.
Know your fighters armor and its resistance. Not many people have noticed that some fighters take less dmg from missiles and mines, while others take extra dmg. Since we use the Wraith you must know 2 things about it. Yes it may not have a lot of hp and only 5 guns but it compensates with 2 vital attributes The Wraith is missile resistant and it is very fast. There is a 70% chance that 1 cannonball and 1 sidewinder will deal only half of the dmg they should on this fighter.

2 step.
Missiles are only effective when you are jousting or are chasing a target. It's simple DON'T JOUST. Attack the enemy from the flank and gun him down. It's also a good tactic to provoke your opponent to fire his missiles. Fly towards him and when you hear the '' incoming missile '' alert turn around as fast as you can. It's just a matter of time when your enemy runs out of ammo.

3 step.
If you have a Cruise Disruptor use it to stop the missiles or even better to kill the enemy with them. The dmg of the missiles is even higher when they are spammed with the CD. So that means your opponent will die in 1 sec if his shields are down. You'll have to catch the right moment to fire the CD and that takes a lot of practice.

Krieger's Flight School - Lesson 4

Know the Fighters.

Here is a list of the some fighters. I'll explain how to fight against each one of them.

Sabre
Fast, agile, 7 guns a true monster and one hell of a fighter. Since it has 7 guns there is good chance that it will have at least 2 missiles. It's biggest weakness THE ARMOR. The sabre take extra dmg (only slightly more) from any kind of laser, mine or rocket. Hit it with a rocket or a torp and it is gone for good. Dont try to shoot it down unless you are an Ace pilot.

Eagle
Even faster than the sabre and even more fragile. One cannonball should inflict good damage. You can shoot it down easily since it has low hull points. This ship mainly used for it's speed.
But dont underestimate this ship!

Titan
It is not as fast as the Wraith so you can outmaneuver it. Since it has good hull points and 6 weapons its biggest weakness is the missiles. Like the sabre it takes extra dmg. You can try to shoot it down but there is a bug in the shape of the Titan. When it has no shields your lasers might not hit it.

Thor and Odin
They are resistant to missiles and have a lot of Hull Point plus 6 guns on the VHF. You'll think ''Then where is the weakness?''. Its easy they have a large profile which means they can be shot down with normal laser guns in no time. Our Wraith is faster and smaller than all of these ships so you MUST get used to see incoming rockets at you.

These are the most used fighters by our enemies.


Example Assault or Support Wrath-loadout

There are, for example, 2 combos that offer you the firepower and safety.

- 2x rockets, 1x razor, 3x Hornvipers-
For an assault fighter. Tactic is simple. Hit them hard, fast and make quick run for another killing blow.

- 1x debilitator, 4 hornvipers, 1x CD or a Torp-
For a support fighter. When the enemy's shields are down ( lets say your teammate got them with his razor ) most pilots run and maneuver till their shields are restored. Well don't give them time for that. With 4 hornvipers you'll shoot them down fast in chase fights and with your Torp or CD wait for the best chance to deliver one BIG surprise. Fly fast and attack your enemy from the flank.

With the Wrath loadouts--two missiles is almost overkill. Landing a razor and a Cannonball missile at the same time will take most ships out instantly. That should be the goal when mounting missiles and a mini razor.
I (Virus) personally fly a Wrath with 1 Debilitator, 3 Hornvipers, 1 Cannonball, and a Mini Razor to achieve my desired effect. There are MANY variations that can be put on the Wrath and used effectively:
Five Hornvipers.
2 Debilitators, 3 Hornvipers
Missiles, 2 Debilitators, 2 Hornvipers
etc.

Don't pick one of these loadouts just because it's listed here. Pick what you feel works for you and your team.

Krieger's Flight School - Lesson 5

The Bomber

1. Know your weapons.
Super Nova Antimatter Cannon ( SNAC )
A deadly and safe to use gun. It need enormous amounts of energy to fire but it is faster. Use it against GB.
Nova Torpedo
The most dangerous weapon, not only for the enemy, but to you as well. The Nova torp deal more dmg than the SNAC and it need less energy. That makes it the perfect Cruiser/Battleship killer. A direct hit inflict even more dmg ( the blast wave ). CAUTION! Use this weapon only when your shields are on. The blast wave will rip any fighter or bomber. Make sure your team mates know that you are using this weapon. They must keep their distance from the target if they want to live ( 100m / 150 m )

2. Bomber weapon combos:
Standart combo: 1x SNAC, 1x CD, 4x Firekiss/Debilitator
Assault combo: 1x SNAC, 1x Nova Torp, 4x Firekiss/Debilitator
Fire the Nova torp then the SNAC. You'll deal twice the dmg at the same regen energy rate.
Anti-Cruiser/Battleship combo: 2x Nova Torp, 4x Firekiss/Debilitator
The 2 Torps will cost all of your energy but if they hit their target directly the blast wave will inflict bonus dmg.

3. How to fight against fighters with a bomber.
The first thing you must understand is that you can't outmaneuver them. Use your armor as an advantage don't worry if you turn around and you're taking all the lasers. Your only chance is to joust the fighters.
When jousting you have 2 options which depend on your weapons:
- Mount a sunslayer torp and make sure you fire it when your enemy has no shields. One hit=one kill.
- Use your SNAC to sniper the fighter.
- Fire a Nova torp then when its close enough to the enemy hit it with a CD. The blast wave will do the rest. ( The last option is for ace pilots only and it wont work always. )

4. How to maneuver
Don't hold your thruster. Keep pushing it randomly, that will make you a hard target. When attacking a Cruiser or a Battleship it is best when your team surrounds the enemy and attack him from all sides. That should keep you safe from the Pulse and Razor kill.



Remember that the Bomber is an anti-capital ship. Dont be a hero and dont attack enemy fighters with it.


Krieger's Flight School - Lesson 6

Against Capital ships in Bombers and Fighters

Encountering capital ships is becoming a major problem for most pilots in fighters and bombers. The new capital turrets pack the biggest punch and their speed is also improved Team play is the key when engaging large targets.
First thing to do is, check how many backup you can get.
But keep in mind: You can even overkill Capitals!

As always, Basics Point 1. Know what you're up against!
Scan, scan, scan. Know your foe! look out how many missiles he has.



1. Gunboats
If you are in a Bomber alone against a Gunboat, always get behind him.
Evade the fire on the first engage and turn after you passed him, then shoot a CD to interrupt his Engine Kill Turn.
Joust to him and fire your SNAC at his broadside.
Repeat this, and keep in mind, if you cant get a clean shot, or the Gunboat is in a good shooting position, do the evasive manuver again.

When the Gunboat trys to sit in turret mode, get some distance and simply snipe it. You can also fly evasive and shoot the SNAC when you are close.
Set up a easy to reach button for CMs, they save your life in a close quarters battle against Capitals!

When you are in a Bomberwing, try to engage simultanious. He can only fire at one of you. Doing this will cause 1 SNAC to hit for 100% chance.

Bomber and Fighter mixup are almost like the same.
The Bomber gets the shields down first, then the fighter aims for weaponsystems and keeps the shield down.
As a fighter, draw the attention towards you, if hes on you, fly evasive, the Bomber will do the rest. You can easy dodge the fire and missiles in a fighter.

Additional Information: GUNBOATS

These are the ships you need to watch out for when you are piloting a bomber. Gunboats are fast and agile, they have anti fighter missiles ( 6000-7000 dmg, turn rate: 8.5 ) and anti fighter turrets. Taking out a Gunboat 1 vs 1 is the hardest task for a bomber, but as I said team play is the key. Since Gunboats are fast they're hard to hit with the Nova torpedo. Use the SNAC, that is the safest tactic. 2 bombers are enough to take down a GB.



2. Cruisers

WARNING: Keep your distance to Cruisers and Battleships now! The Flak turrets are dangerous. Dodge even at 2 klicks all the time! The new turrets are dedly as hell!
Against a Cruiser, keep some distance if hes spamming missiles.
Just snipe him from 1klick. You can use this tactic against gun using Cruisers too.
The free Bomberpilot in a wing should always be near the target and get the snac on the big tincan.
But be ready to bug out! If the cruiser realizes that you are close, he might switch target!

Additional Information: CRUISERS

They are weaker vs bombers than the Gunboat. The best way to take out a cruiser is by using nova torps. You can disarm the cruiser by selecting his turrets and firing Nova torps at them. They dont have anti fighter missiles which makes them very venerable


3. Battleships
A single battleship with no escort is a sitting duck. 3-4 bombers armed with nova torps will tear it apart. Just watch out for those turrets. Experienced battleship pilots use a cunning tactic to take out bombers. They wait for you to stop maneuvering and go for the torpedo run. You think that the battleship is busy with you mates and there's no danger for you. Never...I repeat NEVER stop maneuvering. Thats what your enemy wants you to do. They'll fire 1 pulse and 1 razor or mortar at you. You wont see them cause the rest of the turrets will be firing at your team mates. You'll die in 3 sec.

As always: Patience and evading. Be cautious, dont haste! Haste only gets you into a box!

Admiral Malexa Malte

PS: I'm trying to keep this up to date!

"Additional words of Admiral Malte, about the weapongroups in a Wrath" added.

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